Parents love their children and always want what’s best for them. This is part of what makes parenting so challenging, because it’s sometimes very difficult to figure out what the best course of action is for them. Is it a good time to be strict and set boundaries? Should you indulge and ensure they don’t have to face some of the struggles you did as a child? These are difficult questions with no easy answers.
Thankfully there is one easy decision for parents. That’s getting their child vaccinated. Despite some recent internet hysteria, getting your child vaccinated is absolutely crucial. It’s not important just for them, but for others as well. Vaccination works because a critical mass of the population has it.
Getting your child vaccinated ensures they will not be subject to life changing or fatal diseases that are entirely preventable. There are still some choices for parents of choice in the method of vaccination. Your child may never thank you for promptly getting them their vaccines, but you will be thanking yourself.
Vaccination Schedule
The first thing you should do to ensure your child gets all of the vaccines it requires is acquire a vaccination schedule. There are schedules that are available from the CDC that provides a general outline of when each vaccine and immunization needs to be taken. This is good because many of the vaccines actually require multiple shots in order to be completed.
Rather than blindly go with the CDC schedule, it’s good to plan it out with your doctor. Each pediatrician will design a customized schedule that ensures that the infant or child isn’t doing too many shots at once, but also isn’t going to miss any shots. This ensures that each child receives exactly the treatment they need.
Infant Immunizations
Some people wonder which immunizations are completed not just as children, but as infants. There are some that need to be done right away in the first few months. These are because the baby is able to accept these and are already at risk of the diseases.
These are important vaccines. Hepatitis B is typically done immediately at birth, with the second dose coming in the first two months of the child's life, sometimes before the next round of immunizations. Typically most of the early vaccinations can be done together, but check with your doctor!
Vaccines List
There are many diseases that can be vaccinated during childhood. Many of these have been wiped out, but many remain dangerous to children. Here are some of the the many potential vaccines that a child should receive during their formative years:
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella - One of the most well known vaccine, the MMR shot is completed in two stages. The first stage occurs after the child turns 1 year old and the second should be completed between years 4 and 6.
- Polio - While polio has been almost completely wiped out due to this vaccine, children are still at risk. Polio requires 4 doses to be completed. The first will start early during month 2 of a child’s life and be completed between years 4 and 6.
- Hepatitis - There are vaccines for both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Each will start early during infancy. Hepatitis A only requires 2 doses, while B requires 3 to 4 doses.